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Thursday, December 28, 2006

Posted December 27 | 22 commentsSo we received one of the Microsoft computers the other day that everyone’s been screaming about. I don’t think this is much of a scandal, because Microsoft is being pretty open about exactly what they are doing - giving away computers loaded with Vista to bloggers in the hope that they are more likely to write about it. Here’s the email they sent out:

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Nintendo is offering to replace the original version of the wrist straps for the Wii Remote with a newer version. Because Wii consoles shipped starting in early December already utilized the newer version of the strap, you will need to determine which version of the strap you have before ordering a replacement. To view the difference between the original and the new version of the strap, please click here.

If you have an original version of the strap, please complete the form below to get a replacement (also, to ensure you continue to have a fun & safe experience, please read our Safety Information for Playing Wii by clicking here).

Note: You must be 18 years old or older to order a replacement wrist strap.

Monday, December 25, 2006

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

I know you've seen them. The Google drawings that commemorate calendar events are awesome. Here is a link to the interview with Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan with the Google illustrator, Dennis Hwang.

If you dig around at Google, you can find my favorite Doodles with the Aliens!

Friday, December 22, 2006

The map was drawn by cartographer Martin Waldseemüller and others in St. Dié, France and depicts European geographic discoveries of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, including those based on data collected by Amerigo Vespucci during his voyages to America. Vespucci’s explorations, especially along the east coast of South America, convinced him that Columbus’ “Indies” was a new continent. In his map, Waldseemüller named the newly discovered continent “America” in Vespucci’s honor. Later cartographic efforts by Waldseemüller referred to the Western Hemisphere as “Terra Incognita” or “Terra Nova.” Too late—the first name had already caught on.

Unless you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is a legitimate link and you know who sent it and that they were going to send it to you.Her: But it looked so real.Me: Did you log in to the site?Her: Umm, yeah.Me: Did you give them your credit card info?Her: Well, I started to but they were asking for my PIN and security panel number so I came to you.Me: Whew!

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

CHICAGO - With young people viewing an estimated 40,000 ads a year, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is alarmed that such exposure may contribute significantly to obesity, poor nutrition, cigarette and alcohol use.

In a revised policy statement, “Children, Adolescents, and Advertising,” the AAP outlines several recommendations to help mitigate advertising’s harmful effects, but says one simple solution would be to have children and adolescents become critical media viewers, also known as being media literate.

Several European countries forbid or severely curtail advertising to children, the statement says. In the U.S., however, selling to children is “business as usual.”

LONDON (Billboard) - Physical singles may be losing the war against digital formats, but the U.K. market has found an unlikely hero to lead the fight: good, old-fashioned, 7-inch vinyl.Fueled predominantly by independent labels and alternative groups like Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs, the format -- also known as a 45 in its pre-'90s heyday -- is experiencing a mini-revival in the United Kingdom. In recent years, labels have increasingly added limited edition versions of 7-inch singles to their armory, which are targeted at "indie" rock consumers as trendy collectibles.

The resurgence is backed up by figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), a trade group, that show 2005 trade deliveries of 7-inch singles topped 1.87 million units, a 10-year high, accounting for 3.5% of all singles shipments.

Stuart Allan, rock and pop singles buyer for U.K. retailer HMV, says having a single out on 7-inch vinyl is akin to a "badge of honor" for today's rock bands. More than 50% of all U.K. CD single releases in 2005 featured a 7-inch vinyl version, according to the BPI's "Statistical Handbook."

Description:A problem with the offsite power supply might be to blame for the automatic shutdown of Three Mile Island in Dauphin County this evening. Shortly after the Unit 1 reactor shutdown, the plant notified its U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector who was heading to TMI, said Diane Screnci, commission spokeswoman. “There is no emergency condition, and the plant is stable,” said Ralph DeSantis, a TMI spokesman. “There were no injuries.” The plant has staffed its command center, whose job it is to run a root-cause analysis to discover the source of the shutdown, DeSantis said. This evening's shutdown marks the second time TMI Unit 1's reactor powered down unexpectedly in less than two months. On Nov. 2, an equipment problem led to an automatic shutdown of the plant.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

The way to find the planets, which will be low on the east-southeast horizon, is to hold your arm straight out, with your hand in a fist and the pinky at the bottom. Halfway up your fist is how high the planets will appear above the horizon, Nichols said.